Unlikely Friendship
by sans15
Summary: What happens when Draco and Ginny strike up a friendship, and suddenly, Draco and Hermione find themselves in each other's company more often...
1. Chapter 1

"Ginny's been meeting with Draco Malfoy all week."

Hermione was used to a lot of insane things coming out of Harry's mouth. He was an Auror, after well, and the usual discretion he displayed with the others didn't apply to Hermione. Especially since Ron had been in America for the past few months, exploring the chances of opening more Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes stores there with George. The last letter he'd sent was a breezy account of sunny California, but only the three of them really understood just how much he missed them.

"Excuse me?" Hermione blinked.

"You heard right. Ginny," he paused, smiling at the waitress behind the counter who knew just what to bring him, "...has been having lunch with Mr. Malfoy since Monday. Apparently he's been looking to invest in the Daily Prophet for quite some time now."

"I didn't think Ginny would jump at the chance of being the one to deal with him."

"She didn't. But she was the only one on the team who had, for lack of a better phrase, prior experience with Malfoy. The rest of them were too scared."

Hermione laughed. It had been five years since the war had ended, and this wasn't the first time she was hearing of Draco Malfoy. Whatever she had heard, however, of the Malfoy heir, had been surprisingly positive. He'd worked hard to restore his family's name out of the Death Eater stigma, joining his father in the family business (which, as far as she could gather, was just acquiring more gold, but everything was legal).

"Are you jealous, Mr. Potter?" She asked, slyly, spreading jam over her croissant.

"Of course not", Harry snorted, and once again, Hermione's heart swelled with happiness for her best friend. He and Ginny shared the love poets wrote sonnets about. The amount of trust the two had in each other was infallible, and Hermione sighed in silent exasperation. When was she going to find love like that?

"But, there's a purpose why I told you about the two of them?"

"The fact that you're physically incapable of hiding anything from me?"

"No." They both knew he was lying. "She's invited him over for dinner next week. And I want you to come."

"Because you're afraid the two of them together would be too much for you?"

"Kind of," he grinned.

"Alright. I'll come."

Harry smiled and took a large bite of his waffles. He knew she wouldn't say no.

 _Later that day._

Draco Malfoy pored over the new contracts sent over by the Undersecretary to the Minister. Apparently, the Ministry was quite eager to revamp the "pure-blood" and stodgy image it had accumulated over the years, and Malfoy Public Relations Ltd was the best PR firm all around. The Undersecretary was a particularly enthusiastic employee and Draco's head was hurting.

There was a knock at the door and Draco's secretary, Claire looked in.

"Hey boss, the Ministry just owled. Again."

Draco rolled his eyes, reaching out his hand for the parchment. His eyes quickly scanned the short note, but he had to read it twice.

"Everything okay?" Claire asked, noticing how quiet her boss had gotten. Which was kind of unlike him.

"I don't have to deal with the Undersecretary anymore."

"But that's great! The poor owl delivered at least 15 letters today!"

"My new liaison is Ms. Hermione Granger."

 _A/N: hey guys! This is my first time writing a fic, and this is a shorter chapter to just kind of set the tone for the story! I'm really nervous & I'd love if you tell me what you liked/ didn't like about it! The following chapters will be longer x_


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione Granger didn't think she'd end up in the Department of International Magical Co-operation. After graduating school, her heart was set on the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and the Ministry had welcomed her with open arms. But by a strange twist of luck, she'd found herself being selected for various liaison programs with other Ministries or the general public itself. The aftermath of the war had left the wizarding world in a fragile state – people wanted to be reassured, comforted. And somehow, Hermione was the one everyone looked up to.

"Hermione. A word?" Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic stuck his head inside her room.

"Minister, of course." Hermione cleared her desk of all the contracts, and folders scattered across it. They landed neatly in a heap on the side.

"As you know, I've been working to create a new image for the Ministry ever since I assumed office. To dispel the pure blood agenda it has been associated with." Hermione nodded in response.

"To that effect, I think it's high time we bring in professionals who know how to do it right. And it's only appropriate that you be the Ministry liaison, because there's one else I trust enough to do this professionally."

"It'd been an honor, sir. But who are the professionals?"

"Malfoy Public Relations Ltd."

There was a silence.

"Draco Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy's son?" Hermione said, finally finding her voice.

"Really, Hermione." Kingsley's voice was tinged with amusement. "How many Malfoys are you aware of in the wizarding world? Young Mr. Malfoy has worked quite hard to establish his company, and even though it's been around only for a couple of years, my advisors assure me it's the best."

Yes, she had been hearing about Malfoy on and off for the past years, but _why_ was she hearing about him so frequently these days?

"I've taken the liberty of setting up a preliminary meeting between the two of you today, at the Ministry at 3 p.m. I look forward to hearing the details." And with a smile, Kingsley strode out of the room.

Hermione sat down, her hands rubbing her temples which had suddenly started to throb. There was a knock at the door for a second time, and she got up quickly thinking Kingsley was back.

"Hey, stranger. It's lunch time." Harry said, grinning down at her.

"Oh, thank god," Hermione sighed, grabbing her purse and walking out with him. "I needed a break."

They made their way out of the Ministry and into Muggle London. There was an Indian restaurant that both of them loved going to (especially without any Weasleys because none of them liked Indian food).

"So I have to tell you something."

"Spill." Harry said, looking over the menu even though they'd order the same thing they always did.

"Have you heard about the new PR initiative the Minister is eager to enforce?"

"Sure." As Deputy Head of the Auror department, there were a _lot_ of things Harry was privy to, but he kept most of them to himself.

"Well, guess who the company he engaged belongs to."

"Uh. Luna?"

"Are you mad?"

"Okay, not Luna. Her husband?"

"No one related to Luna."

"Kingsley himself?"

"Have you EVER heard of a PR firm possibly owned by the Minister?"

"So, no. Hmmm. Justin FF?"

"I don't know why you can't say his full name, and no."

"Mafalda Hopkirk?"

"Harry! Where are you getting all of this from?"

"Fine! I give up. Who is it?" 

Hermione felt her cheeks warm, and she didn't even know _why._

"Draco Malfoy."

Harry burst out laughing. "Are you serious?"

"What's so funny in that?" she said, bristling.

"It's funny that we went years without actively talking to him to him being actively involved in most of our lives. God, I wish Ron was here. That would've been funny."

Hermione laughed, sipping her cola from the glass bottle. "I miss him."

Harry's eyes softened, and he bowed his head down for a moment, and Hermione knew he missed Ron more than she ever would. Honestly, it was no joke trying to fill in Ron Weasley's shoes. It was exhausting.

"Well, another month more, and he's back." Harry said, accidentally dropping his wand from the pocket of his long black coat. The two of them always Transfigured their wizarding clothes to Muggles ones before stepping into London. Sparks shot out of his wand, and the nearby patrons started.

"Sorry," he said, stowing it away, "Taser…like thing."

"Taser? Seriously?" Hermione said, trying to stop laughing.

"Well, you think of a Muggle device which can accidentally emit sparks."

"I'm too famished to think, sorry."

Right across the street, Draco Malfoy was making his way towards the Ministry. People might think it was odd behavior (especially from him), but sometimes, he loved to walk through Muggle London. After the war ended, the wizarding world hadn't exactly been jumping to welcome the Malfoys back, but he'd worked hard to establish his reputation. Back in the day, the narrow confines of the magic got too much for him, and he started escaping to London, and gradually, it became almost customary of him to walk through it.

He was quickly cleared by the witch at the reception desk (she actually couldn't move fast enough and she also tried to touch him, a lot). Draco Malfoy had become somewhat of a ladies' man, the same reputation he enjoyed at Hogwarts. Words of his conquests were reported in _Witch Weekly_ very religiously, but he preferred to keep his private life to himself. As he passed through the halls, in his crisp black robes, a small briefcase which was his one Muggle possession, people stopped to take a look. His slicked back hair had given way to a slightly messier look, and with his chiseled jaw and the striking grey eyes, it was a wonder women didn't swoon all over the place.

He reached the Department of International Magic Cooperation, where he was whisked off to a corner office with a young boy sitting outside. Granger's receptionist. He also looked vaguely familiar, and when he looked up, the resemblance giving away his identity.

"Mr. Malfoy, good afternoon," Teddy Lupin smiled, gesturing towards a seat. "She's just out to lunch, she'll be with you shortly."

"Thanks", he said, and sat down.

Hermione Granger wasn't someone who crossed his path very often, but of course he'd heard of her. She was a war veteran, and highly respected. Few could match her credibility, and he wasn't very surprised the Ministry had announced her as the liaison.

Brown hair, unruly. Large brown eyes. Head scrunched over books in the library. Defiant in the face of death. Screaming on the floor of his house.

He shook his head. No need for that image.

The door to his office flew open. "Oh god, James, sorry I'm late, your father is such a bad influence, I'm going to kill him…." said a flustered voice, obviously Ms. Granger. He stood up to announce himself.

"Oh, you're here." She said, turning to face him. "Good afternoon!"

Brown hair, twisted into a loose chignon. Small heels. Dark green witch robes, which somehow seemed to hug her curves _just right_. The freckles across her face. No makeup. And those big, brown eyes.

Draco swallowed. This was going to be interesting.

 _A/N: I hope you like this chapter! Please leave a review, thanks for reading! x_


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione didn't know what to do.

She opened the door to her office, after fumbling at the doorjamb for five minutes. "Good afternoon!" What was up with her? Why did she sound like a schoolgirl who'd caught sight of her crush? She was usually quite reserved with people who she met for the first time. _But you aren't meeting Draco Malfoy for the first time, are you?_ whispered the sly voice inside her head.

She was acutely aware of him following her into the art deco seats she kept for visitors, and breathed deeply before turning to face him.

Stop. Being. So. Frazzled.

"So, Mr. Malfoy. I've had a general briefing from the Minister on what he wants to project as the Ministry's official image. I'd like to hear your viewpoint on the subject, as well as your expectations from my department."

Draco took a deep breath. He'd forgotten just how insanely professional Ms. Granger was (even though the last time they'd come face to face was only at Hogwarts). But she had a way of intimidating a man, even one as insanely confident as Draco Malfoy.

"Well, as the Minister would already have told you, he's looking to alter the Ministry's rather stern footing on pure-bloods. He did express his concerns on whether it was possible or not…"

 _He really had marvelous hair._

"…but I assured him that my company will be putting in all our resources to make sure it happens as quickly as we can pull it off. And, the fact that I'm the one representing the Ministry makes it slightly easy."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Malfoy's lips rose in a smirk, and Hermione saw a glimpse of the Malfoy she knew back in school, before he was sucked into Voldemort's evil plans.

"I'm a Malfoy", he said, simply. "My family epitomized the world of pure blood snobbery."

She noticed the use of the past tense. "After the war", he continued, as if he'd read her thoughts, "I worked quite hard, and quite closely with my father to make sure we restored the Malfoy name to respectability. And I like to think we've succeeded, a little."

Hermione considered that for a moment, and nodded. For all she felt about Malfoy, she recognized commitment to one's work when she saw it.

"So, I'll be sending in my proposal to the Minister in a couple of days and, I'll keep you in the loop as well. So, see you then." He got up.

"Yeah, you'll see me after that as well."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, dinner at Harry and Ginny's, you're invited. Aren't you?"

Was it her imagination, or did his face soften?

"Oh yes, that slipped my mind. See you then, Ms. Granger."

And with a slight smile, he left the room.

Hermione was used to having the upper hand. In all her meetings, dealings, interactions. But for some reason, this meeting left her feeling disconcerted, and for the first time, that someone else had the upper hand.

And he _was_ ridiculously handsome, urgh.

 _A/N : yes, this chapter is ridiculously long, but I've been so busy! I hope you guys like it, and more chapters soon! Please like and review x_


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